The first round of the 2017 playoffs saw most of the favourites advance. Top seeds Golden State and Cleveland made light work of their opponents as they aim for a third straight finals match-up.

Portland pulled off an impressive sweep of James Harden's Rockets, whilst Memphis pushed Oklahoma City all the way to seven games with their gritty play.

The golden run of San Antonio may finally be coming to an end after they were unexpectedly beaten in five games by the Clippers. With Tim Duncan retired, Manu Ginobili likely to follow him this year and Tony Parker not far behind, the Spurs are heading into a transition period.

Luckily they have Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to rebuild around. But in today's NBA they will need more than just those two to compete for a championship. No doubt R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich will have something lined up to refresh their team.

Al Horford and his new Boston teammates took care of his old team Atlanta in six games, in what was the pick of the action in the eastern conference. They will now face the Bulls in a re-match of that epic 2009 series that went to seen games and featured several overtime games.

The fairy tale runs ended for the youthful Phoenix, Milwaukee and Philadelphia teams, but we'll definitely be seeing more of them over the next decade.

All of the second round playoff series went comfortably in favour of the favourites, apart from a thrilling series between Boston and Chicago, which went the full distance of seven games.

Golden State dealt with Portland in five games for the second straight season in the conference semi finals. The match-up between Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard didn't disappoint. Ultimately, the Blazers had no answer for Kevin Durant and he took full advantage. He dropped 39 points in game five as the Warriors closed out the series and booked a mouth-watering conference finals re-match against Oklahoma City.

The Thunder made short work of a Clippers team which had so impressively eliminated San Antonio in the previous round. Russell Westbrook was at his destructive best as he recorded two triple-doubles and came within a single rebound of two more in the other games. He averaged 33 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists over the four game series.

The Cavaliers made it past Detroit in five games, despite big man Andre Drummond averaging an impressive 22 points and 14 rebounds per game. It was Kyrie Irving (30p/9a) and LeBron James (24p/6r/8a) who led the way for Cleveland.

Boston versus Chicago was by far the most entertaining of the four series, going all the way to seven games. Even though only two of the games had margins under ten points, every minute of game play was exciting. The home team won in each of the first six games and it took a blowout win by the Bulls in Boston to settle the series.

For the third year in a row it's going to be LeBron's Cavs facing off against Curry's Warriors in the NBA finals. Both number one seeds swept their opponents to reach the big dance.

The Warriors made surprisingly easy work of the Thunder, who were led by MVP Russell Westbrook. As always, Russ dominated (averaging 28p/9r/10a), but was once again let down by a lack of support from his teammates. Victor Oladipo did score 20+ in the first two games of the series, but failed to reach double figures in games three and four.

Curry (29p/6r/7a) and Durant (23p/6r) led the way for Golden State as they beat the Thunder in the conference finals for the second straight season.

On the other side of things, Kyrie (26p/11a) and LeBron (18p/8r/7a) were again the best for the Cavaliers as they swept the disappointing Bulls. Jimmy Butler (22p/6r/6a) and Dwyane Wade (20p/6r/7a) were both standouts for Chicago, despite the four to zero series loss.

Apart from a 20 point effort in game four, Kevin Love had another lacklustre series. He is under massive pressure from the media and his own fans to perform and will need to lift his game if the Cavs hope to stop the Warriors juggernaut.

Warriors take revenge for 2016 as they win second championship in three years

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors squared off in the NBA finals once again this year. The teams have split the previous two meetings, with a championship each. In 2015 the Warriors won in six games, whilst last season the Cavaliers got revenge and won in a thrilling seven game series.

It was the seventh season in a row that a team led by LeBron James was playing in the finals. His record of only winning three of those series has been the biggest criticism of him throughout his career. The pressure on him to even the ledger at 4-4 and not go to 3-5 is immense.

Both teams finished with the top seed in their conferences, with the Warriors gaining home court advantage after winning 63 games, compared to the.Cavs' 55.

The opening game of the series began in positive fashion, with LeBron James and Stephen Curry both sinking three-pointers in the opening seconds. At one point, both LeBron and Kevin Durant came up with big blocks at either end of the court within moments of each other. Cleveland held a 6 point advantage after a somewhat sloppy opening quarter.

A deep three by J.R Smith put the Cavs up 31-24 halfway through the second quarter and they looked in control. There is no such thing though against these Warriors, who went on a 9-2 run to level it up at 33-33. Klay Thompson was the catalyst for the fightback, scoring 11 points in the quarter. Kevin Durant threw down a monster slam in the dying seconds to give Golden State a 40-36 lead at the half. LeBron failed to score at all in the second quarter.

After a scrappy beginning to the third quarter, the Warriors made the crucial break of the game. Over the course of a few minutes, they outscored the Cavs 15-4 and found themselves up 63-47. LeBron and Durant had a nice duel going on, which the latter won 12-7 in the quarter. He sank four massive three-pointers. Kyrie and Kevin Love both failed to score at all in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was expected to be an extended garbage time with the Warriors up by 15. But Cleveland didn't give up, and they cut the margin to just five points with 31 seconds remaining. Curry then hit two free throws to end the brave run by the Cavs. He scored 16 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most.

LeBron was Cleveland's top performer on the night, finishing with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists on 8-14 shooting.

Cleveland entered game two hoping to bounce back from their disappointing effort in the series opener. Chris Andersen popped up with 7 points early to put them up 19-13, before Stephen Curry banked a heavily contested three-pointer off the glass to reduce the margin. He finished the quarter with 9 points, but his team trailed 21-20. Durant and LeBron added 5 apiece.

Golden State started the second quarter on an 8-0 run and looked set to take control, but three-pointers to both LeBron and Kyrie Irving put the Cavs back in front. Klay Thompson finally got involved in the game after having zero impact in the first quarter. He scored 8 points in the second and had the Warriors up 44-38 at the half.

Kyrie sank a three-pointer to open the third quarter, before Golden State went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to double digits. Cleveland then amazingly went on their own 11-0 run to cut the lead back to 2 points, 54-52. It finally looked like we were getting the close game that we wanted as the two teams prepared for the fourth quarter, separated by only four points.

A nifty spin-move layup by Kyrie to start the fourth quarter cut the margin to one possession and had the crowd in a state of nervous silence. But two quick-fire three-pointers by Klay Thompson helped them find their voices again. He led a mini 8-2 run for the Warriors, which put their lead back into double figures. But once again the Cavs wouldn't give up. Three-pointers from Kyrie and J.R Smith, followed by a contested layup from LeBron saw them pull within 3 points, 72-69.

Momentum quickly shifted once again however as the Warriors responded with another 10-2 run, thanks to Klay and Anderson Varejao. Cleveland had no answer after that. Klay Thompson was the hero for Golden State. He scored 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and came up with the game-deciding play. He blocked Iman Shumpert at one end, which led to Andre Iguodala sinking the dagger three-pointer at the other end. The Warriors won 89-76 and went 2-0 up in the series.

Thompson's amazing night was even more incredible when you consider that he didn't even score in the first quarter. His heroics were much-needed by Golden State as Curry and Durant only scored 5 points combined in the second half. The latter had a relatively quiet night by his standards, scoring only 12 points.

LeBron also only managed 5 points after halftime, but his performance was overshadowed by Kevin Love's horrid night. He managed only 3 rebounds and an assist as he went 0-6 at the offensive end. If he doesn't improve, then Cleveland may as well concede the series right now.

The series headed to Cleveland for game three and the Cavs were desperate to record their first win to keep their championship hopes alive. They had the Quicken Loans Arena rocking early as they started with a 10-2 run. Things quietened down soon after though as the Warriors went on a 7-0 run and undid all of the good work done by the Cavs.

A 10-4 run had Cleveland back in control, before Shaun Livingston beat the buzzer to have his team trailing 23-16 after one quarter. Both Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were scoreless for Golden State, whilst Kevin Love recorded his seventh scoreless quarter of the series already.

Cleveland started the second quarter on fire. A couple of three-pointers from Kyrie Irving had them up 34-23 and looking good to get the win. The Warriors tried to fight back, but another triple from Kyrie and one from Richard Jefferson kept the margin intact. Cleveland held a solid 43-34 lead at the half. Things were looking good. Even Kevin Love managed to score his first points since the fourth quarter of game one.

Predictably, Golden State came out strong in the third quarter and cut into the deficit thanks to a 15-6 run. Cavs fans were getting worried, and rightfully so. But on this occasion their team withstood the onslaught and countered with a 12-2 run of their own to close out the quarter. J.R Smith added 11 points in the third quarter, including a deep two on the buzzer to put the Cavs up 68-53.

Most times you enter a fourth quarter with a 15 point lead you are entitled to feel that the game is safe. That isn't the case against this Warriors team. Fortunately for everyone supporting the Cavs, the closest Golden State could get was 9 points. Kyrie was clutch late on as Cleveland ran out 90-74 winners and grabbed their first win of the series.

Kyrie led the way with 24 points and 5 assists, whilst J.R Smith turned up massively with 19 points of his own. Kevin Love was still well below his usual standards, but did manage an improved 10 points. Golden State didn't really have much going on outside of Klay (23 points) and Curry (18 points).

Confidence was high in Cleveland after their team coasted to a 16 point victory in game three. But this game wasn't going to be as simple. A tight first quarter saw both teams trade baskets back-and-forth, with neither team gaining a decisive advantage. The score was tied 20-20 after an entertaining opening quarter.

A 12-4 run to begin the second quarter had Cavs fans dreaming of another blowout win. Stephen Curry had other ideas though. A quick 6 points from him and a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Klay Thompson reduced the margin to just 2 points at halftime.

Cleveland outscored the Warriors 12-6 in the first half of the third quarter and found themselves up by 8 and looking in control of the game. That's when the defining stretch of the series happened and everything fell apart for the Cavs. Out of nowhere Golden State scored 17 unanswered points and turned an 8 point deficit into a 9 point lead. Kevin Durant was red-hot during that stretch, scoring 14 points.

The crowd was stunned, but did still enjoy Kyrie Irving broke Curry's ankles before knocking down a step-back three-pointer. Curry got his revenge a minute later though by sinking a deep three over Kyrie just before the buzzer to put his team up 65-56 with a quarter left to play.

It seemed as though the contest was over when Golden State started the fourth quarter on a 7-2 run, increasing their lead to 14 points. The Cavs didn't really have an answer after that point and the Warriors held on to win 81-71 and go up 3-1 in the series. With game five in Oakland, it seemed like the championship was a forgone conclusion.

LeBron came under heavy criticism after the game after he only managed 4 points, 3 rebounds and a single assist. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith described it as "the most disgraceful performance from a superstar in the history of sports".

Kyrie played well again and finished with 25 points and 6 assist, whilst Kevin Love's form continued to improve. He scored 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. On the other side of things, Curry and Durant combined for 40 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.

Even with their historic comeback to win the title from 3-1 down last year, no one really gave Cleveland any chance of repeating that feat this time around. History did look like it was repeating itself though when the Cavs started the game by sinking three straight three-pointers early on to lead 9-2. Golden State didn't waste time leveling things up again, thanks to a 10-3 scoring burst.

The lead changed hands several times and it was Cleveland who found themselves in front 20-18 after the first quarter. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving combined for 11 points for them, whilst Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry scored 12 between them for the Warriors.

Both teams exchanged baskets to start the second quarter, before the offensive firepower of the Warriors starting taking over. A 9-2 run saw them jump out to a 35-28 lead. A steal and fast break basket by LeBron halted the momentum, but Golden State still held a 38-34 lead at the half. The immense importance of the occasion seemed to be getting to a lot of the players and it resulted in a low-scoring, sloppy spectacle.

The third quarter was much the same as the second. The end-to-end action meant that the margin never stretched beyond two possessions at any point. That was until Curry led Golden State on a 7-0 run to close out the quarter and put them up by 10. They were now within touching distance of the title. What did the Cavs have left?

Things looked bad for Cleveland when Klay Thompson made a three-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth quarter to put the Warriors up 64-50. With 4 minutes to go, the Cavs were down by 16 and the Warriors bench were already celebrating. LeBron did his best to try and lift his team back into the game, but a couple of trademark three-pointers from Curry ended the contest.

The Warriors won 83-71 to clinch the series 4-1 and seal their second title in three years. In the end they just had too much firepower for the Cavs to handle.

It's going to be an interesting Summer for both teams. Cleveland will have to have a hard look at themselves to see what they can improve in order to be able to go a step further next season. There are also question marks about the possible retirements of Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Mike Dunleavy, Chris Andersen and James Jones. The team definitely needs an injection of youth.

Meanwhile, Golden State are facing the loss of the likes of Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and Zaza Pachulia if Kevin Durant opts into his player option for next season. Keeping Durant, Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green together puts a big strain on their salary cap and will force them to sign a lot of veterans to fill out their bench.

Two-time regular season MVP Stephen Curry added a Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy to his collection. He scored in double-figures in each of the five games, with lowest points total being 17. He also dished out about seven assists per game as he had the Warriors' offense running like clockwork.

Klay Thompson was actually the favourite to win this award after the first four games, as he had a higher points average than Curry. But a rather modest seven point effort in game five cost him any chance of winning. Curry's 29 point effort in the final game lifted him to the top of the voting.

Kyrie Irving was far and away the best player for Cleveland. He scored over 20 points in four of the five games, averaging 22 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists per game for the series.

The play of LeBron James was massively disappointing. He averaged a mere 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game, well below his career averages. Father time must be finally catching up with the 32 year old, because he showed no signs of injury or illness in any of the fie games. In game four he inexplicably registered only 4 points, 3 rebounds and and assist.

Kevin Love was also well below par against the Warriors. He only reached double figure scoring twice and his rebounding was weak by his standards. Almost immediately after the final buzzer sounded to end the series, whispers began about his future with the Cavs. It could be an interesting off-season in Cleveland as they lick their wounds and reload for next season.

They say that all good things must come to an end, and sadly, that is also true for the San Antonio Spurs. Thirty-nine year old Argentine Manu Ginobili has called time on his impressive career after fifteen seasons in the NBA. He also played in his native Argentina for three yeas and in Italy for four years before coming to America.

With the departure of Tim Duncan at the end of last season and now Ginobili's retirement, it means that only Tony Parker remains from the "big three" that led the Spurs to such success throughout the past decade and a half. Thirty-five year old Parker is about to enter the final year of his contract and may choose to hang up his sneakers in twelve months time as well.

The 2018 off-season could be a decisive moment for the Texas franchise, with veterans Tony Parker and Pau Gasol coming out of contract and possibly retiring. LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green will both have the option to opt-out of their player options for 2019 also.

It will be really interesting to see if legendary coach Gregg Popovich sticks around to rebuild the Spurs around Kawhi Leonard or if he finally makes good on his promise to walk away from the NBA once Tim Duncan was gone.

Boston legend Paul Pierce also announced his retirement after 19 seasons in the NBA. Pierce played with the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers during his illustrious career. But he will be most fondly remembered for being a stalwart of the Celtics throughout the entirety of the 2000s.

Pierce led the Celtics to two NBA finals appearances, including a championship-winning run in 2008 which ended a 22-year trophy drought for the franchise. He was named finals MVP for his performances against the Lakers in that series. The 2010 finals series saw the Celtics narrowly miss out on another title as the Lakers won a thrilling game seven by four points.

On draft day in 2013 Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a mega deal. He only spent one season in Brooklyn though, followed by another single season with the Washington Wizards. He finished up his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he failed to help them go beyond the conference semifinals.

As expected, the Boston Celtics will pick first in the upcoming 2017 NBA draft. General manager Danny Ainge really must take credit for turning two aging veterans into a number one pick, amongst other things. Conversely, Brooklyn fans must be pretty angry at Billy King right about now.

The only team to improve in the lottery was the Denver Nuggets, who rose up to the second overall pick despite only having the fifth highest odds.

Miami and Dallas were dealt a double blow thanks to the addition of the two new expansion franchises. It has made their fall twice as bad as it would have been in any other year.

DraftExpress.com Final Mock Top 10

1.)Boston Celtics- Harry Giles (Duke)

You could argue that Markelle Fultz and Josh Jackson are the top prospects in this draft class, but the Celtics already have Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart on their roster. It is more likely that they go for Duke big man Harry Giles. The athletic forward would be a good fit alongside Al Horford and could make an immediate impact in Boston.

2.)Minnesota Timberwolves- Josh Jackson (Kansas)

This could turn out to be a tricky spot for the Timberwolves to be in if the Celtics do actually go with Giles at number one. Giles would be the ideal selection for them to fit in beside Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn.

They may go with Josh Jackson if Giles is already off the board and hope that he and Wiggins can find a way to play together effectively. With all the point guards available, this draft would have been David Kahn's wet dream.

3.)Denver Nuggets- Markelle Fultz (Washington)

The Nuggets are another team that already have a wealth of young talent on their roster. The last thing they need is another guard, but it will hard for them to pass on a talent like Fultz. Perhaps trading down to a lower pick on draft night may be something they look at doing.

4.)San Diego Eagles- Lonzo Ball (UCLA)

The first of the expansion teams to pick in this draft. Logic would suggest that they will just take the best player available with this pick because they don't have any players on their team yet. Ball has a unique combination of length and shooting touch and would be a brilliant foundation player for San Diego to build around.

5.)Louisville Lions- De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)

The other expansion team Louisville could look to local Kentucky college star De'Aaron Fox. It could be a smart way to tap into the support that the Kentucky college team enjoys and help them begin to establish a fan base in the state. Of course Fox is extremely talented in his own right and is projected to be a more explosive version of Rajon Rondo in the NBA.

6.)Miami Heat- Dennis Smith Jr (NC State)

Miami will be looking to draft a guard with this pick and North Carolina State prospect Dennis Smith Jr would fit the bill perfectly. Goran Dragic is into his thirties now and the Heat don't really have a successor lined up at the moment. Smith has battled back from a torn ACL in high school to be of the top prospects in this draft.

7.)Dallas Mavericks- Frank Ntilikina (France)

With Deron Williams reportedly set to test his free agency options next month, it would make sense for the Mavericks to pick a point guard here. Belgian-born French international Frank Ntilikina is the Dante Exum/Emmanuel Mudiay of this year's draft. He has a lot of hype, but no one knows how his play in the top league in France will translate to the NBA.

8.)Washington Wizards- Lauri Markkanen (Arizona)

With the pick they got from Philadelphia in the John Wall trade, the Wizards could take a gamble of Finnish big man Lauri Markkanen from Arizona. After seeing the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Dragan Bender thrive in their rookie seasons over the past two years, the Wizards may see the seven-footer as an ideal addition to their newly remodeled team.

It may be a reach, but if it pays off it'll be well worth it.

9.)Orlando Magic- Jayson Tatum (Duke)

The Magic are in no-man's land at the moment. They have a bunch of young pieces and a couple of quality veterans, but they aren't good enough to make the playoffs and aren't bad enough to have a top 5 pick. Harry Giles' Duke teammate Jayson Tatum would be a nice selection for them. Wing scoring is something they could do with some more of and Tatum fits the bill perfectly.

10.)Charlotte Hornets- Jonathan Isaac (Florida State)

Recent history would suggest that the Hornets would be looking to take Isaiah Hartenstein with this pick. They do seem to love picking up big white guys who don't rebound and have decent shooting ability with their lottery picks.

Joking aside though, they could look at Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac, who has been rising up the draft boards in recent months. His combination of length and mobility make him a very intriguing prospect and may even go before this pick.